Anna Kommene recounts the episode of Peter the Hermit crossing into Asia from Europe after not heeding a warning to wait for reinforcements. She depicts Peter and the Normans as being rash, impulsive, "haughty," violent, and uncultured. This was quite a contrast to the Byzantines who were presented as cultured, measured, and more restrained. The Normans are presented as being extremely violent: tearing "children apart," impaling them on "wooden stakes," and roasting "them in fire." After capturing Helenopolis and plundering it, the Normans fought among themselves. The Normans fell victim to attacks from the Turks because lack of awareness and their greed for plunder. Anna clearly presented her views in this statement: "For the Latins are not only most fond of plunder . . . but when they give themselves to raiding any region for plunder, are also no longer obedient to reason, or any other check." Peter the Hermit had to be rescued by the Byzantine fleet which caused the Turks to flee. Anna presents her father, the Emperor, as thinking that it was "very wrong that Peter should be taken." While her views of the Europeans may have been exaggerated, the Europeans would have given plenty of reasons for her to form such views. Her accounts provide an extremely valuable primary source for the events of the Crusades.